The Villainess’s Reputation [Kingdom Building]

“I… I can’t seem to fall asleep,” Ravenna muttered, rustling beneath her silk sheets. She had been tossing and turning for hours, the humidity of the approaching summer making her skin feel restless. Finally, she sat up with a heavy sigh. “Maybe I just need some action, after all.”

Her gaze drifted down to the Apostle’s mark etched onto her inner thigh, shimmering faintly in the moonlight. “Is anyone there?!” she called out to the hallway.

“Y-Your Highness!” one of the maids peeked in, looking slightly startled.

Ravenna didn't mince words. “Go and find a skilled indulgence artisan who is available right now.”

The maid nodded quickly. “It is late into the night, so I am sure the most popular ones are already occupied, but I will find someone worthy of you! I am sure anyone would be willing to share a bed if they hear it is Your Highness calling!”

With that, the girl rushed out before Ravenna could say another word. Ravenna chuckled softly to herself. “That must be a new maid… she didn’t even stay long enough to hear my specific preferences for the night.”

She leaned back against her pillows, the silence of the room settling over her again. “I’ve truly become Ravenna now,” she whispered, thinking of how naturally this life fit her. “I even rejected the Absolute Being’s offer to go back to Earth. That’s right… I am Ravenna Solarius. I can’t leave my loved ones behind again.. Like I did as Joy”

As she waited, her mind began to drift in and out of a drowsy stupor. “Maybe I should have just called for Aurora or Kenric, even if it put them in a difficult spot tonight,” she thought. But she quickly shook the idea away. Kenric was scheduled to leave for Otto City at dawn and needed his rest, and Aurora was staying by her son’s side while he fought off a fever. “I can’t demand they come here just for my own satisfaction.”

The soft rhythm of the distant waves eventually lulled her into a deep slumber.

As the first pale light of morning began to seep through the balcony windows, Ravenna stirred. She felt a familiar, comforting warmth, the unmistakable sensation of smooth skin pressed against her. She realized she was hugging someone tightly, her face buried in their neck.

At the same time, another figure was sleeping behind her, their arms draped protectively around her waist. She didn't fully wake up at first; she simply felt right at home, cocooned between the two bodies.

“It’s like the days from the past,” she murmured in her sleep, a faint smile touching her lips as a light, tender kiss was placed on the nape of her neck by the person behind her.

Slowly, the fog of sleep began to lift. Recognition settled into her bones as the scent of familiar perfume reached her. Ravenna opened her eyes and pulled back slightly to look at the person she was holding in her arms.

“L… Laila?!”

The sleepy blonde beauty giggled in her slumber as Ravenna’s gaze darted behind her. “And Rexford?!”

His handsome face broke into a familiar, roguish smile as he tightened his hold, pulling her flush against his chest. “Good morning to you too, Your Highness,” he murmured, his voice husky with sleep. Laila, now clearly awake, snuggled closer, her lips tracing a path of soft, proprietary kisses across Ravenna’s shoulder.

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“Not fair! You’re making the first move!” Rexford complained, though he had no intention of backing down. He leaned in to capture Ravenna’s lips in a deep, hungry kiss that she instinctively returned. Laila continued her assault of affection from the chest up, the three of them tangled in a mess of silk and rekindled heat, until the heavy bedroom doors slammed open with a resounding crack.

“I knew it!” Alice’s voice roared.

She stood in the doorway with her arms folded tight, her expression a mask of professional annoyance. “Ravenna! You have a briefing with the Humanity Defense Force in less than a few hours! I know you’ve missed these two freaks, but that doesn't mean you can slide back into your old habits the second you open your eyes!”

“Alice is as prickly as ever,” Laila pouted, reluctantly ceasing her kisses but refusing to let go of Ravenna’s arm.

Rexford and Ravenna broke their kiss, breathless. “W-what do you even mean?” Ravenna stammered, trying to regain some semblance of her ducal dignity. “I didn’t even know they had returned! I only found out they were in my bed when I woke up!”

“Whatever the case, they’re back now, and you can ‘reunite’ on your own time,” Alice barked, gesturing for the maids to flood the room. The servants hurried to pull back the heavy velvet curtains, letting the harsh morning sun pour in, while others began arranging a fresh wardrobe.

“And didn't I tell you to only call one of your lovers per night? You never have any stamina for meetings when you try to handle both at once!” Alice continued her lecture, vigorously selecting a sharp, authoritative dress for the day.

Ravenna sat up, pushing her tangled dark hair out of her face. She leveled a mock-glare at the two in her bed. “You two are causing me trouble the very moment you return. Get up! Get dressed! We’ll talk about your ‘unauthorized entry’ later.” With a frustrated huff, Ravenna stood and marched toward the bathing chamber, trailed by a flock of maids.

“But… it was your idea,” Laila muttered toward the closing bathroom door.

Rexford let out a long sigh as he began searching for his discarded trousers. “See? I told you she was talking in her sleep last night, mumbling for both of us to stay. She probably doesn't even remember.”

Laila scoffed, pulling a silk sheet around her. “Don’t act like it wasn't your fault too. You only agreed to sneak in because you were afraid she’d choose me over you if we went in separately.”

“Confident, aren't we?” Rexford retorted sarcastically. “Who was the one trembling at the door, worried Her Highness would have us thrown out for entering her bedroom without permission?”

“I just don't get why Kenric gets to do it whenever he wants,” Laila grumbled, hugging Ravenna’s pillow and inhaling the lingering scent of lavender.

“That’s because I’m not an idiot like you two.”

A cool, steady voice came from the doorway. Kenric stood there, arms folded, leaning against the frame with an air of effortless superiority. “Get cleaned up. You wouldn't want to make Lady Alice truly angry on your first day back, would you?”

Rexford looked up at Kenric, narrowing his eyes. “So, you’ve been enjoying Her Highness’s company all to yourself while we were hiding away in Conley, have you?”

“Jealous much? I ought to brag that Her Highness was the one to contact me first, unlike you two,” Kenric smirked, clearly enjoying the opportunity to provoke his old rivals.

“As if you should believe a single word he says.”

Another voice joined the fray, this one light and musical. Aurora walked into the room, a graceful smile on her lips. “Ravy spent the majority of her time with me while I was here. You members of the harem don't have to start fighting over her affection just yet.”

“Lady Aurora!” both Rexford and Laila said in unison, scrambling to finish dressing.

“Now, now, get ready just as Kenric said,” Aurora encouraged, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “There is a meeting in the study soon, and I suspect you’ll need to be there to catch up on everything Ravy has been up to while you were gone.”

As the two rushed past to find their own quarters, Aurora turned to Kenric. “I suppose the castle is going to be far more lively in the coming days.”

Kenric watched them go, his expression unreadable. “More noisy, you mean.”